Origin of the dishwasher
"If no one else is going to invent a dishwashing machine, I'll do it myself"
The dishwasher, which today seems indispensable in any kitchen, is a relatively recent invention. Its origins date back to 1886, when Josephine Cochrane, an American woman, tired of her dishes being damaged when washed by hand, decided that ‘if no one else was going to invent a dishwashing machine, she would do it herself’.
The first dishwasher consisted of a copper kettle with a wheel with compartments to put the dishes inside. The wheel rotated while the soapy water came out under pressure, washing all the pieces. This first prototype could wash and dry up to 200 dishes in two minutes.
Her invention was presented at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 and the first to include them in their kitchens were hotels and restaurants. Her machines were sold to prestigious hotels such as the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago.
Josephine patented her ‘dish washing machine’ and founded her own company, the Garis-Cochran Dish-Washing Machine Company, which later became KitchenAid (owned by Whirlpool). Motivated by the desire to popularise her creation, she also developed a model adapted for domestic use just before her death in 1913.
For decades, however, the dishwasher remained a professional product. It was not until the middle of the 20th century that, thanks to the increasing electrification of homes and the search for greater efficiency in domestic chores, its use spread to households.
This development marked the beginning of a new era in kitchen design and in the evolution of household appliances as tools for optimising everyday life. We share the pursuit of what you believe in. The importance of taking the time to identify needs and solving them. The way to improve people's lives.
The inventor of the dishwasher Josephine Cochrane
A woman testing one of the first dishwashers.
Cochran's US Patent No. 355,139 for a ‘dishwasher’ including a system for cleaning cutlery and dishes.
Garis-Cochrane dishwasher advertisement, 1903
In 1898, the Garis-Cochrane company became Cochran's Crescent Washing Machine Company. 1903 advertisement
KitchenAid advertisement from the 1950s promoting the household dishwasher.
